bex88
 

Out of curiosity, with those figures you quoted, is FPA (circa 650) a monthly occurrence? Sorry, I'm not familiar with the term...

So (if my poor maths holds up), you're looking at a basic of around 4300PCM, plus 650 + 1000, so around 5000 gross (3500 net) per month as a DEP on long haul?

I only ask as I have a few mates interested in applying to get back home, just wondering how the numbers stack up, not that money is the main driver, for most its the desire to move back home.

£52kpa + another £12kpa in duty pay gives you £64000 per year. At current tax rate that netts you approximately £3700 per month after tax and NI. If you pay the max 6% into your pension then your take home becomes £3500.

On top of that are your allowances at approx £650 per month. These are, I believe, taxed at a very marginal rate (if at all) and so you can expect to see £5-600 of that in your pay packet. Take home pay, per month then would be approximately £4100 per month.

OUCH!!!

As much as I would love to chuck in the towel with the mob I work for in HKG, my take home pay (including housing) is THREE TIMES that.

I know money isn't everything, but that's a show stopper.

Shame.

:{

Yeah... but what we're talking about here is starting FO pay. There are 34 pay points...

Is your pay, FO or Capts pay, do you have seniority etc?

10 year F/0. Trapped in my golden handcuffs.

Money isn't everything, but... seniority is.

Biggest error of judgement I ever made joining this outfit.

:ugh:

Flying clog;

If being trapped in golden handcuffs is difficult, think about facing a third redundancy in under 5 years and facing no job and no income after xmas followed by a pension that wouldn't support a small hamster. Then consider that your best hope is a selection process with an 80% chance of failure, even at the first stage. Things suddenly don't look too bad do they?

Put yourself in the position of the Monarch guys or even someone like myself. You could easily wind up as a Grounded clog.

I'll get me coat...

Starting FO pay as a year one FO (about a year after starting your upgrade from SO is a take home of around £7300. This is on a normal non-expat contract with no housing.

Seniority-based pay scale goes up gently, take home as a fresh skipper around £11500 net.

Similar number of pay points to BA.

Not that it's the only consideration, but the money in the UK isn't great.

Do people delsy dine to supplement their salary? HMRC would love that. Are the allowances enough to cover your host bill?

Allowances are easily enough to cover your Host bill unless you're unfortunate enough to have 2/3 HKGs in a month in which case your wallet and liver might take a bit of a bashing.

Yep, what Megaton said...as long as you're vaguely sensible :oh: your allowances daily rate will cover the "Host" bill for most destinations.

Don't forget though that the cost of living in Hong Kong is astronomical, way more than the UK which itself is expensive. Unless you're slurping on noodles in Mongkok, it's definitely not cheap.

My mate is a three striper on short haul at BA. Every year he's put in a bid transfer for the 747 so why is he still being denied..?

Nonsense. Happy endings are far cheaper in HK :O

Still frozen or lacking seniority. The process of fleet transfer within BA is transparent and open.

What Juan said. .........OTOH the postings ("transfer") system is quite dynamic, so given the rate of change in the P&P arena at the moment it's possible your mate might get a pleasant surprise (albeit at short notice...).

IIRC

Moving from two to three stripes occurs after four years. The Engagement Freeze runs to five years. But your mate could easily have told you that? So 'every year', he's either been frozen, or he's only been bidding for 747. (they've had few vacancies recently as the number of hulls is reducing) Though he could likely have had A380, B777 or B787 had he been unfrozen AND bid for them.

Or maybe he's waiting for the A350?

Choices, choices!

The process is completely and utterly transparent. Unlike very many other outfits. Though I have just read of the possibility of 'denied bids' in 2015, due solely to BA's lack of required training capacity.

Flying Clog.

Your 'biggest error of judgement' is preferring the number in the bottom right corner of your pay slip above everything else! I hope Beijing don't come a knocking!

His joining year was summer 2006 so it must be seniority.

Will new hires jump over him if needs must..?

In any normal year, new recruits would only be accepted in a seat for which there are insufficient unfrozen internal bidders.

However, it's looking increasingly likely that 2015 may not be a normal year.

Agree with that. With all due respect to anyone out of a job or with an unpleasent base though, you will have to agree that being based in London (and before you all suggest, no I don't want to spend the only life I have commuting unless I really had to..) on a 4k net salary is not the best contract in the world.
I don't need to live in Myfair, but 4k will not go far in London or in the South East in general.

Yes there' s more to it than mere net salary, but I don't see any accomodation provided, private schooling payed, or company car and phone here right?
So please tell me, what should one be looking at if not the number at the bottom right corner?

I don't live in London, or the South East. BA have pilots who live in NZ and pretty much everywhere (in both directions) in between. Commuting to one's tax haven is not for me, but our rostering and remuneration (currently) allows it, for anyone who so prefers.

Individual choice and all that.

At least one of our top paid pilots is taking home £20k per month. (He doesn't live in Mayfair either!) Horses for courses!

Personally, I'm not bothered about dying rich, but I would like to enjoy the journey, because (accommodation/private schooling/company car or phone?) it won't be long for any of us, before it's gone!

One pilot in BA taking home £20k per month?

That sir, is rubbish.

Perhaps if a trainer on the top pay point in a month where profit share was paid and they had done LOTS of overtime the previous month, he could take home £12k.

Put it this way, there is perhaps only one The Director of Flight Ops, but his profit share is never explained.